Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-26
RICHMOND CHURCHES
WORK OF TEE PASTORS AND TIE
PEOPLE.
Con frmation Services Rededicatioa-
Election Of sunday-school Officers
Last Night, Etc.

OuuudJ was "a utkiButiui opihhS "-J'
1t was bright, fresh, and invigorating--
just the day for songs Of praise and
joyous music. A more fitting opportu-
nifty could not have been given the la
dies for displaying their new spring
suits and pretty bonnets, of which
there were many of varied and attrac-
tive STYLES. The attendance at all of
the services, both regular and special,
was unusually large.
Below will be found summary OF
what took place in many OF the
churches:
CONFIRMATION AT MooRE-NENoRIAL CHURCH.
Sunday night Moore Memorial church was
densely crowded on the occasion OF the con-
iTmaton Of ten persons by bishop hanuoiph.
Before the confirmation service the blsnop
preached an excellent sermon, which was lis
tened 10 with pleasure and extraordinary AZ
tontion. For his text ne chose the "0tus'
"For ye know the grace OF our Lord Jesus
Christ that though He was rich yet Tor your
cakes lie became poor" This sentence,
the speaker said, was thrown into an
appeal by ~. Paul 10 the prosperous people
at Corinth TO help the poor prosecuted churcn
at Jerusalem. "When Paul first went 70
heather Corinth what an audience he had TO
preach to. Corinth corrupt, dissolute, sunk IN
sensuality. There was the swarthy Egyptian
who had come 10 speculate IN corn; tne con-
ceited Greek with his ideas Of bodily lust; the
proud Roman looking down upon Egyptian and
Greek as creatures made TO be conquered anu
held under his iron heel. and oil hating and
dospising the Jew. But Paul preached his goe-
pei for two years, and by and by the love OF Christ
touches the cold Egyptian, the sensual Greek.
the proud Roman, aud they become band OF
Christians, and when Paul writes 70 them
about the sufferings OF their Christian brethren
in Jerusalem they at once send messenger
laden with the fruits Of their seii-denlal lot
Christ's sake"
Bishop Randolph then proceeded 70 talk OF
the subject Of the text-thc poverty OF Christ
as e means for the enrichment OF the human
rnce. What relation does the purity Of Christ
lcar 10 the worlds welfaros And what constt-
tutes Christs poverty II You look az tho pow
erty In itsef.n he said, "it has no special mean
ing There Is nothing in IL 10 account fvr the
power OF the Gospel Other men have been
poor Other men have died martyrs to the
truth If you look at Christ the night OF His
suffering and the morning o. His crucinXion
you SEQ n man OF perfect innocence and
infinite dignity scOurged ~ please the
coarse humor Of brutal soldiers; con-
demned by q Judge who said He was
Innocent: the mockery OF Ills enemies,
and deserted by human friendship. II that
were all, why tho story only adds another TO
the long record OF nature despised and trod-
den down by notorious wrong But tins Is not
all. This poverty, this humiliation, has some-
thing behind H. PGul says lie was rich, but
for your sakes become poor; 30 in order 70 un-
derstand this poverty you must remember
that lie was rich. You must GO back into eter-
Lity. Gu must begin the history OF Christ
before his birth at be'hlehem. You must be-
gin with the pre-. existence OK the Son OF God.
hc waa rich in al The power and glory OF the
GOdh, al rich in he perfection OF the Diyihe
nature. lis poverty, then, was the symbol OF
Divine remuneration: Iii suffering Divine
sacrifice.
us the atOnement mystery! IL is 4 STUN
bling block to many reasonable minds how
Christis death can atone for our sins; how his
poverty can contribute 10 our wealth. lt must
be mystery until we remember VINO CHRIST
wa II we conceive Of Christ as q man-as the
only perfect man that ever lived, as Gods mes
songer TO man, bat stin only man himself
then his at0nement is an offence 70 the reason.
How could he be our substitute, our SIM
bearer? Ii is an offence 10 the natural sense
Of Justice that an innocent man should bear
the punishment Of a guilty man. What would
be thought OF Judge who would discharge ths
fslOns from the prisons of city because some
noble and generous citizen offered himself 10
The eXecutiOner instead? IL God. before He
would consent TO forgive the sinner, had de-
manded n satisfaction 10 His retrtOuttye Jus
tlce, and had required some holy angel, somo
innocent saint, 10 bear the awful burden OF
Gethsemane and the agony Of the cross, then
lN
could have constituted a satisfa tion for sin.
" "Butwhat are tho facts OF the Gospel7 These:
God himself, In the person OF tho Lord Jesus
Christ. comes TO endure suffering INSTEAD OK
in6icting It Christ is the moral ruler OF the
race, and shows what sin is by bearing IL upon
the cross. The Judge takes the sentence and
heaIs IL in his body on the tree. There was no
compu.iOn. He was God. He could have
swept His enemies into annihilatlon in mo-
ment, but from the beginning 10 the end He was
n voluntary sufferer
And we regard self-sacrihce "a the crown OF
all human excellence. The best men aud
women I'm your midst are the unselhsh ones.
We all thrill with admiration for an unSellsh
nci, but low could We have known that there Is
unseilshness In Gods nature but for the sacri-
fee OF Christ >iie was rich, but Tor our sakes
became poor, that We through His poverty
might become rich
What Is the wealth that Christ brings into
the world? How Las lie made us rich3 The
ordinary conception CT riches Is material pos
notwithstanding that can be put down
upon list Of property, which VIII answer me
question. How much this or that man IL
Worth7i You have seen communities where
this Is the prominent question asked about n
man or woman All other questions turn upon
that TO the average mind there IA nothing SO
wonderful az property. To own It Is TO be
great man, and the more man owns the
greater he Is. There can be- 10 question that
The Gospel of Christ has been tbs great 0gen.
In the materR progress Of mankind. Chris
tian morality Il the mother OF just laws. Cnris-
tan principles are the guides in the definition
of Just relations between man and man, class
and class
Bishop Randolph here gave an illustration Of
how the lack Of spirit Of community among
pagan nations prevented them from rising
Above their degraded level, either az nations
or individuals. He then added: "Chiistianily
upon every Geld Is nshting mans selhshness,
is lifting him 10 a sense Of honor and dignity
and moral responsibility; Is kindling In him
tke love Of humanity, OF faith between mai
and man. Therefore Christianity must add TO
the material wealth Of nations; and Pauls
proposition is agein true that the poverty OF
Christ is the riches Of the world"
Before the reverend speaker closed his re-
marks he showed what the birth OF Christ had
done for womankind-how she had been raised
from her slave-like and degraded condition.
'Slnce Christ was born Of a woman maternity
is clothed with infinite dignity"
After the Bishop had laid hands on those pre-
sented before him, he spoke few words OF
counsel TO them. He urged them not TO lose
their personality; not 10 let the world turn
them from God or their duty; not to DO . thing
because any other person or any set Of people
cid it: not 10 do anything because It was fash
ioLable.
CONFIRMATION AT ST. JAMES CHURCH.
In the merning Bishop Randolph preached
an oble sermon at 81. James church with HIS
charactsri ristic ferVor. After the sermon he
confirmed nineteen persons.